Seduced by My Childhood Sweetheart’s Brother
Chapter 97

Strings of Fate

97- Purring and problem–solving

My muscles have tensed up and what was a very comfortable position is now very not. This isn’t thefirst time we have slept in the same bed, it shouldn’t be so awkward. I suddenly realise that Bellamy’sbreathing isn’t slow and deep like I would expect from someone who is asleep or nearly asleep. Alsohis arm on my waist is tense again. I’m about to ask what’s wrong, but Bellamy beats me to it.

“Something is upsetting you.” He says, his tone is dark. I stammer out a response.

“I just noticed that you’re… well. Maybe I should move away a little bit?” I suggest. Bellamy groans.

“That’s why you’re anxious? I’m still on high alert, your discomfort makes me want to keep. you asclose as possible, but it’s my proximity that’s the problem.” He sounds horrified.. I see his dilemmathough. I’m anxious so he doesn’t want to let go, and his holding so tight is making me anxious.Although it’s not so much that he’s close as that he is clearly still aroused and I’m awkward. How is thisso embarrassing?

“I don’t know how I’m supposed to react.” I explain quietly, my voice barely more than a whisper.Bellamy is quiet for a minute, still holding me close.

“You’ve never said anything any of the other times.” He comments.

“O–other times?” I ask, confused and sort of horrified. Bellamy chuckles behind me.

“Yes other times. Almost every time we’ve shared a bed if I’m completely honest. You never noticed?”He sounds amused.

“No I didn’t! My voice is a high pitched squeak.

“I can’t imagine how you haven’t realised until now… But either way it’s not your issue, it’s mine. Wecould lay some other way if it’s making you uncomfortable, you really can just ignore it though. Nothinghas changed.” He assures me. I can’t help but let out an almost. sarcastic laugh.

97- Purring and problem–solving

How is moving supposed to help? I still KNOW. Unless it will help your situation?” I suggest. Bellamystill sounds like he replaces the whole situation hilarious.

“I doubt it. But you need to sleep. Are you going to stress about this all night now?” He asks and Icringe a little.

“Probably.” I admit. Bellamy lets out a deep breath.

“Okay, well that’s not going to work. You’re exhausted and you need sleep. I have an idea…” he trailsoff. He suddenly releases me and climbs out of bed. I’m immediately a little cold as

the air hits my back, he’s left the blanket off.

“One second,” he adds. I can hear the soft rustle of his clothes. What is he doing?” A moment

later I feel the bed dip beside me again and something soft brushes against me.

“B–Bellamy?” I ask, confused. A warm and furry body lays down beside me. Oh. It suddenly

clicks in my brain. He’s shifted. Well, I suppose that does fix the awkwardness a bit. I don’t

know how I feel about this as a long term solution, but he’s right that I need sleep and that

we can talk about it later when I’m less of a zombie. I curl up beside him and he almost wraps himselfaround me. I can feel his tail on my leg and the warm weight of one of his paws pushed up against myshoulder. I snuggle in closer and he… purrs? I can’t help but giggle a little and the tension in me drainsaway. I focus on the steady purring beside me and it doesn’t take long for my eyes to fall closed.

I wake up in the morning groggy and weirdly sore? I suppose it makes a little sense. I was really tenseand pumped up on adrenaline so my muscles probably got tight. I shudder to think how achey I wouldbe without the hot bath. Bellamy is still wrapped around me in his black cat form. Now that I think backon it, I do feel like I was being a little dramatic last night. Then again, I don’t think either of us were ourmost calm and reasonable selves. In the daylight, it doesn’t seem real anymore. I can’t believesomeone trashed my place and threw a rock through my window! I’m going to have to apologise toMaggie. I know she won’t actually be angry or anything, But I am definitely going to have to pay for thatwindow, it wouldn’t be

fair otherwise. I sit up, stretching and groaning.

“Ugh, what time is it? I don’t feel like I slept that long.” I grumble. Bellamy gives what I can bestinterpret as a cat version of a shrug. He then hops down from the bed and stretches deeply, curving hisback then leaning forward. It reminds me a little of some yoga poses I saw

97- Purring and problem–solving

once. My back certainly doesn’t bend that way. It’s strange, in this form our red thread still existsobviously, but it sort of comes from underneath him, I suppose a cat’s chest faces the

ground more. I’m so caught up watching Bellamy in his feline form that it doesn’t occur to me to lookaway when he suddenly changes back in a weird blur of twisting and magic.

“Good morning.” He greets me. I yelp and cover my eyes. Bellamy laughs.

“My bad. I thought you knew what I was doing and would look away. You did ask a question. How elsewas I going to answer you?” A tugging feeling around me tells me that Bellamy is grabbing a blanket offthe bed.

up,

“It’s safe to look now.” He promises, a laugh in his tone. He’s wrapped the blanket around his waist andsits on the bed beside me. I have to work not to stare. My word is he is pretty. Seriously, why did I haveto end up with a guy who is so much prettier than me? We just woke he has no right to look this good.After a minute I realise we are both just sitting on the bed staring at each other. I’m watching him andhe’s watching me watching him. I blush pink and he leans in towards me. I think he’s about to kiss mebut suddenly he leans back. His

gaze darts to the messed up bed then back to me. Instead he reaches out and takes my hand. For asecond I’m confused. Why did he stop? Then I remember how I reacted last time he tried to kiss me inbed and I freaked out. But this is different… sort of? I’m not lying on my back and not trying to startanything. Although he is naked…ish. I’m not sure a blanket really counts. Still, I appreciate the care heis taking to respect my boundaries. It helps me feel brave enough to push them a little bit. I lean in andkiss him. It’s barely more than a peck but Bellamy grins at me and uses his free hand to push a strandof my messy blue hair back behind my ear and out of my face.

“How are you feeling this morning?” he asks gently. I sigh.